Making Tracks

"Motown had its Funk Brothers. Nashville had its 'cats.' Elvis even had his very own top-of-the-line sidemen. Every genre and locale had (and has) its supporting players. But no group of musicians has ever played on more hits with more stars than the Wrecking Crew. 'The whole era was a magic combination of artists, writers, and producers,' says Larry Knechtel. 'We loved what we did, and for about 10 years it was as good as it gets.'"

In American Heritage, Kent Hartman evokes Los Angeles' master studio music makers of the 1960s.